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Monday, January 26, 2009

FEATURED AUTHOR: Lutishia Lovely

A Preacher’s Passion

Passion Perkins is hot to trot. She’s been celibate for five years, and is beginning to wonder if God will ever answer her prayer for a husband. Just when she’s ready to give up, newcomer Lavon Chapman comes to Logos Word Church . He definitely catches Passion’s eye. Unfortunately, someone else catches his eye and needless to say, Passion isn’t happy about it, especially since the woman in his sights is already married. But this isn’t the only “passion in the pews”. Several other saints definitely need prayer, but by the time they call on Jesus…it just might be too late.

In addition to writing, Lutishia Lovely is an actor and motivational speaker. She enjoys working out, watching sports, fixing vegetarian cuisine and spending time with friends and family. The Hallelujah Love series: Sex In The Sanctuary, Love Like Hallelujah & A Preacher’s Passion, has received good reviews, several “best fiction” nominations and time on Amazon, Black Expression Book Club and MosaicBooks bestseller lists. When not being her best “Lutishia”, she writes as her alter ego, romance novelist Zuri Day (www.ZuriDay.com). Lutishia currently splits her time between Switzerland , Spain and Los Angeles .

What would you like readers to take away from your book?

I think there are different messages for different people. More than anything, I hope that readers are inspired, encouraged and entertained by my work.

Why did you choose to write this book?

I didn’t choose the work so much as the work chose me! I simply asked Spirit what I should write about. That initial question was posed several years ago. I am now working on book number five of this series and the storyline is still flowing strong…

What did you learn while writing this book?

From the very first novel, I’ve learned to let the story tell itself, to not get in the way of the character voices and storylines that are flowing, even when they are different from what I initially imagined. This storyline changed from the initial synopsis I’d submitted to the editor, and the one that wrote itself is much better than what I’d imagined!

What one thing about writing do you wish other non-writers would understand?

That it’s not as easy as it looks.

What is the best lesson you have learned from another writer?

Wow, I’m always learning from my peers. One of the best lessons would have to be to believe in myself, and what I’m writing.

What is the toughest test you've faced as a writer?

Writer’s block. I’ve been writing non-stop for almost four years. This past spring, I hit a creative wall; nothing would come. I was looking at a blank screen, and had a due line! (I prefer this phrase to deadline because I want everything about my work to be alive!) It was a scary moment, but Spirit kept saying “it’s okay”. I was led to do the exact opposite of what it looked like I should do. I was led to do nothing, to go out and enjoy myself, take some time off, watch movies, have fun. “But my book is due soon!” I said. Spirit’s answer was always the same, “It’s okay.” And it was. I did as instructed and after a few weeks, the story started to flow again and my due line was moved to a later date.

What is something readers would be surprised you do?

Gurllll…there are probably a lot of things I do that would surprise my readers!

What are three things you wish you’d known before you reached where you are now?

I can’t say there is anything because learning what I learn when I learn it is part of the journey.

How do you reach new readers?

The best thing an author can do is live their life as if it’s one big promotion. Along with the internet being a huge asset for us, especially yahoo, ning and other groups as well as Myspace, I always try to have promo pieces to pass out to everyone, everywhere.

If you could have dinner with 3 authors to talk with about their writing (living or deceased) who would you invite and why?

Oh my goodness…only three?! Okay, I’d say Barbara Cartland, Deepak Chopra and Oprah. Barbara is the queen of the romance novel. Her career spanned six decades and when she died, in her 80s, she was still writing. Deepak has an all-encompassing view on God and spirituality—his writing is very insightful. And Oprah? I really want to be on her show talking about my writing! :)

Can you give us one do and one don’t for those aspiring to be a writer?

Do…write! Studying and research is fine, but nothing is going to improve your skills the way practice will.

Don’t come into writing/publishing unprepared. Study the craft and the industry, and come correct. This is literary art, yes, but at the end of the day…it’s business.

Our theme for this month is Family Literacy, what do you do to promote literacy in your family?

Often when a gift is called for, I give a book. For instance, this past Christmas, most of my gifts were either books or gift cards to bookstores.

Book number four in this series comes out in August, ’09. In Heaven Right Here, it’s eighteen months after A Preacher’s Passion, and the focus is on Stacy Gray and her friends Hope and Frieda. Much of the storyline can be summed up in three words: baby mama drama! You’ll want to stay tuned…!